


Magnetic North

by CloudAtlas



Series: All Hallows Eve 2015, Be_Compromised Style [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Meddling Friends, dressing up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-25
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-05-03 09:16:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5285204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudAtlas/pseuds/CloudAtlas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Halloween in Stark Tower, and <i>things</i> are afoot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magnetic North

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bettybackintheday](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bettybackintheday/gifts).



"Why are we doing this again?" Natasha asks, adjusting her gloves irritably.

"Because," Pepper says for the hundredth time, "sometimes Tony has to get his way for the continued wellbeing of the rest of us."

"But why a Halloween party?" 

Natasha knows she sounds whiny, but this is Pepper and she has long accepted that Pepper gets special privileges; nick-knacks from missions, girls nights in, non-controlled displays of emotion. Those kinds of things.

"Because then we can dress up," Pepper says with a smile. "That way, we get something out of this too."

Natasha rolls her eyes. Pepper knows full well that a large amount of her job involves dressing up in some way. Okay sure, not usually quite like _this_ , but that's not really the point.

"Oh stop scowling," Pepper chides. "It’ll be fun."

Pepper is dressed as some kind of Byzantine queen, in reds and golds and dripping with jewels. It's the kind of thing you can only get away with if you're practically married to Tony Stark. Natasha can't imagine what he's dressed as, but she's sure it'll be equally ostentatious. She's also sure he won't look half as elegant as Pepper does.

"I can't believe you made me wear _this_ ," Natasha says, plucking at her dress.

"One, I don't make you do anything, two, you look hot as fuck."

Pepper gives her a mischievous look that Natasha isn't sure she likes.

"You're going to be _noticed_."

The party’s in Stark Tower and it seems that all of New York is invited, or at least, those not going to Heidi Klum’s annual Halloween bash. The few SHIELD agents going probably feel very out of place, Bruce and Steve probably even more so.

She sees James Rhodes first – dressed as Maverick from Top Gun which Natasha only knows because Clint made her watch the film – chatting with Steve, who looks surprisingly comfortable dressed as Clark Kent, complete with open shirt to reveal the famous 'S'. Natasha tries not to be too obvious when looking for Clint, but something in Pepper’s smile implies she’s not doing that well.

"There's Tony," Pepper says suddenly. "Oh God, what is he wearing?"

Tony seems to be dressed as Caesar, in white and red, with a laurel wreath that looks like real gold. He doesn't look half as elegant as Pepper.

"Pep!" he calls over the heads of about half the guests, "success!" He jerks his head in a 'look over there' gesture and Natasha sees Maria and Bobbi chatting to someone currently blocked from her sight by a man dressed as Louis XVI.

"Good," Pepper says, pleased. "Come on Natasha."

Maria is dressed as Katniss Everdeen, carefully carrying one of Clint's practice bows, while Bobbi has gone for zombie Alice in Wonderland, which is actually creepier than Natasha guessed it would be. Maybe the spiked bat adds something – probably the knowledge that Bobbi knows what she's doing with one.

And then Louis XVI moves out of the way and –  

"Oh, _very_ good," Pepper says appreciatively, her hand clamping down around Natasha wrist so she can't run away.

 – someone, probably Bobbi, has convinced Clint to dress up as… a Chippendale? Someone shirtless anyway. Fuck.

"Pepper, Natasha, hey!" Maria has the type of smile on her face that means a mission went well; pleased and a little victorious. Bobbi just looks smug. "You look amazing."

Pepper demurs with a smile, despite the fact that Maria is absolutely correct; she does look amazing. 

"And I'm loving the Jessica Rabbit," Bobbi says, grinning, and Natasha has the distinct impression that she's been set up. She's also have trouble looking away from Clint's shoulders. "Doesn't she look fantastic, Clint?"

Natasha manages to drag her eyes up to Clint's face just in time to see a vicious blush spread from his face down his chest.

"I'll take that as a yes," Bobbi says, not waiting for an answer. She swings her bat menacingly. "Now, get this the fuck out of your systems. We're getting cocktails." She links arms with Maria and Pepper in a much more girlish gesture than Natasha has ever seen from her and together they saunter away without a backwards glance.

"Um," Clint says once they’ve gone, scrubbing the back of his head nervously. "You look…"

He trails off, seemingly at a loss, and Natasha is suddenly very aware of how small her waist is in this dress, how much skin she's showing, how much her breasts are pushed up.

How very _shirtless_ Clint is.

"Yeah," she says eventually, because Pepper, Maria and Bobbi are conniving, meddling shits, but they’re not _wrong_. "You too."


End file.
